Safe



Aug. 8, 1933. A. HOFER El AL SAFE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE SAFE Application January 21,

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to altar tabernacles, and more particularly to a novel safe construction therefor, whereby the tabernacle will be prot-ected against entrance by unauthorized persons.

Another object of our invention is to provide a safe for altar tabernacles of the general type shown in Patent No. 1,829,333 granted to Frederick J. Berg's on October 2'7, 1931, which will be easy to operate by the person possessing the correct key and in which considerable strain will be eliminated from the key, so as to prevent the breaking of the key incident to the operation of the lock and the opening of the tabernacle doors.

Another salient object of our invention is the provision of means for opening the tabernacle doors by the turning of the key simultaneously with the operation of the lock, novel means being provided for preventing rotation of the gearing utilized for opening the doors prior to the turning of the key.

A further salient object of our invention is the provision of a pair of outer protecting doors for the tabernacle and a pair of inner doors for the tabernacle, with novel means for automatically opening and closing the inner doors by the outer doors during the operation of said doors.

A further object of our invention is to generally improve the construction of the mentioned patent to Frederick J. Bergs, so as to render the doors easy to operate and substantially noiseless during operation.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an improved safe for altar tabernacles, which will be durable and efficient in use, one that will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, ar- 40 ran ement and formation of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the tabernacle safe, illustrating the doors in their closed position, parts of the safe being shown broken away and in section to illustrate the various operating parts;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the safe;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the safe, showing the doors in their closed position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the doors in their open position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed 1932. Serial No. 587,892

side elevation illustrating the improved connection between the barrel of the lock and the operating mechanism for the doors.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter vA generally indicates our improved tabernacle safe, which is preferably constructed from metal and which is fitted within an opening in the altar (not shown) in any desired way.

The safe A may comprise a safe body 10 having similar shaped top and bottom walls 11 and 12 which are bolted together and to the side walls of the safe 13 by use of suitable bolts 14. The front of the body 10 of the safe is provided with a suitable entrance opening of the desired size, and the front of the safe is preferably of arcuate shape in plan. The entrance opening of the safe is normally closed by arcuate metal doors 15 and 16 and these doors swing toward and away from the center of the opening and overlap when in their closed position, as indicated by the reference character 17. Rigidly secured to the entrance doors 15 and 16 are the upper and lower pairs of hin e leaves or supportin arms 18, and these hinge leaves or arms ride over the outer faces of the top and bottom walls 11 and 12 of the safe and have their inner ends provided with bearing collars 19 which are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 20 connected with said top and bottom walls. The bearing collars 19 for the bottom hinge leaves or arms 18 are provided with facing bevelled gears 21 which having meshing therewith the centrally disposed bevelled pinion 22. Obviously, from the description so far, when the bevelled pinion 22 is rotated, the facing bevelled gears 21 will be rotated in opposite directions for bringing about the opening or closing of the doors 15 and 16.

Anchored to the bottom wall 12 of the safe is the casing 23 for the lock and this casing rotatably receives the barrel 24; of the lock which is released and rotated by the use of a suitable key 25. The lock has not been illustrated in detail, and can be of any preferred character or type, such as a conventional pin lock.

Slidably and rotatably mounted on the barrel 24 of the lock is a clutch section 26, which is adapted to be moved toward and away from a similar clutch section 27. This clutch section 27 is rigidly connected to a hollow shaft 28 which extends toward the facing bevelled gears 21 and the pinion 22 is rigidly secured to the hollow shaft in any preferred way, such as by the use of a key or set screw 29. Sutable bearings 30 are connected with the bottom wall 12 of the safe for rotatably supporting the hollow shaft 28. Slidably mounted within the hollow shaft 28 is an operating rod 31 having rotatably secured to its inner end, a cross head strap 32. This strap 32 is provided with looking pins 33 which are adapted to fit within openings in the bevelled pinion 22, when the strap is in one of its two positions for holding the pinion against rotation.

In order to slide the clutch section 26 on the barrel 24 of the look toward and away from the clutch section 2'7, the clutch section 26 is provided with diagonal spiral guideways 34, in which are slidably received operating pins 35 carried by said barrel 24. Obviously, during the initial turning movement of the barrel 24, when the hollow shaft 28 is held against turning movement by the pins 33, the clutch section 26 will be slid on the barrel by the pins 35 riding in said spiral ways 34. The forward end of the operating rod 31 is suitably anchored to the clutch section 26, so that during sliding movement of the clutch section, the rod 31 will be operated thereby for actuating the cross head strap 32.

Means is provided for locking the doors l5 and 16 both from the bottom and the top of the safe, so that it will be impossible to pry the doors open, either from the top or the'bottom.

The locking means for the bottom of the doors 15 and 16 comprises a collar 36 slidably mounted on the hollow shaft and this collar is provided with a cup-shaped lock head 37 for engaging hook shaped keeper plates 38 rigidly connected with the hinge leaves or arms 18 carried by the bottom of the door.

Connected with the collar 35 of the lock head 37 is a pin 39, which pin isrlgidly connected w h the operating rod 31, so that movement of rod will be transmitted to the lock head for bringing the same into and out of engagement with the keeper plates 38.

The means for locking the doors at the top consists of a double ended locking lever do which is mounted for swinging movement at a point equal distant its ends, on a suitable bolt or stud shaft 41 carried by the top wall of the sale between the hinge lea es or arms for the tops of the doors. The terminals of the double ended lock lever 40 are provided with oppositely directed locking hooks 42 which are adapted to engage keeper pins 43 secured to said top hinge leaves or arms 18. Any preferred means can be provided for deadening the noise of the engagement of the keeper hooks 42 of the locking lever 4-3 with the keeper pins 43. Secured to or formed on the hub of the double ended lever it) is a crank arm 44. The outer end of the crank arm 44 has pivotally connected therewith, a link 45 which is in turn pivotally connected to the outer end of a relatively long crank arm 46.

The crank arm 46 is rigidly connected with a vertically disposed operating shaft 47. This operating shaft 47 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 48 carried by the top and bottom walls of the safe. The lower end of the shaft 47 has connected therewith an operating crank 49, to which is pivotally connected the swinging link 50. The end of the link 50 which is remote from the crank 49 is pivotally connected by means of pin 51 to the bottom wall of the safe. The cross head strap 32 is connected with the link 50 by the use of suitable connecting bolts 52, as clearly shown in Figure l. of the drawings, and this arrangement is such that longitudinal movement imparted to the cross head strap 32 from the opcrating rod 31 will be imparted to the link 50 for bringing about the turning movement of the double ended lock lever 40 for releasing the tops of the doors. A guide 53 can be rigidly secured to the bottom wall 12 of the safe for supporting the connecting bolts 52. It is to be noted at this point, that the operating rod 31 is rotatably connected with the cross head strap 32, but that this connection is such as to move the strap longitudinally during shifting of the rod.

In operation of our safe, the key 25 is inserted within the barrel of the lock which will release the barrel for turning movement. The barrel 24 is now turn-ed by the key and the clutch section 26 will he slid toward the clutch section 27, but as hollow shaft 28 is held against rotation by the pins 33, no turning movement will be imparted to the shaft or clutch section 2'7, and, consequently, the clutch section 26 will only slide longitudinally on the barrel.

The sliding movement of the clutch section 25 will slide the rod 31. The sliding movement of the rod 31' will be imparted both to the cup-shaped locking head 37, through the medium of the pin 39 and to the link 50, through the medium of the cross head strap 32 and the bolts 52. Thus, the sliding of the rod 31 will move the lock head 37 from out of ngagement with the hook-shaped keeper plates cut 11 the bevelled pinion 22 and will g the link 50 rearwardly. The swinging mot ement of the link 50 is imparted to the shaft 4i? through tLe c ml; 49 and the shaft in turn as and 4A through the con- 5 and rotate the double ended is or the hook ends 12 thereof from out of engagement with the keeper pins 43. The doors 15 and 16 now free to be swung open. Upon continued t1 ning movement of the key 25, the barrel 2e rotate the clutch sections and 27, in view 0. .he fact that the pinion 22 been released by the pins 33 and the fact that the clutch section will be unable to move inwardly any further distance. The turning of the clutch section 26 will rotate the hollow shaft 28 which in turn will rotate the bevelled pinion 22. The turning movement of the bevelled pinion 22 will operate the bevelled gears 21 and swing open the doors."

The doors are closed by the reverse turning movement of the key and the initial turning movement or" the key will bring about the closing of the doors l5 and 16, and continued turning movement of the key will move the clutch section 26 forward on the barrel of the lock and thus return the cross strap 32 and all of the locking parts to their normal position.

It is to be noted that all of the locking and unlocking operations of the doors and the opening thereof is accomplished by the turning of the key. This is a departure and an improvement over the patent heretofore mentioned, in which, it was necessary to release the locking mechanism for the doors by forcibly inserting the key in thelock.

A further important feature of our invention is the inner pair of swinging doors 60 and 61. The outer edges of the inner doors 60 and 61 carry hinge pins 62, which are rotatably mounted within suitable bearing openings carried by the top and bottom plates 11 and 12 of the safe. The doors 60 and 61 are mounted for swinging movement toward and. away from one another and the door 61 is provided at its outer end with a crank arm 63, the purpose of which will be more fully described. Means is provided for operatively connecting the doors 60 and 61 together, so that movement of one will be imparted to the other. This means includes a connecting link 64, one end of which is connected to a pin 65, secured to the door 61. This pin 65 also carries a roller 66, the purpose of which will also be more fully set forth. The opposite end of the link 64 is pivotally connected to one end of a bell crank 6'7. This bell crank 6'7 is rockably mounted at its angle on the bearing pintle of the door 60. The end of the bell crank 67 is remote from the link 64 and pivotally connected, as at 68, to the door 60 inward of the pivot point thereof.

In order to create a tension on the link 64 to prevent any loose play therein and for normally holding the doors in their open or closed position, a bow-shaped leaf spring 69 is provided. This leaf spring 69 is anchored intermediate its ends as at 70, on the top wall of the safe and the ends of the spring bear against the link. The link is provided adjacent to one end with a lock notch '71 into which the adjacent end of the spring is adapted to fit when the doors are in their open position. The inner edge of one hinge leaf or arm 18 is provided with a depending cam arm 72, which is arranged in the path of the roller 66, for a purpose which will be later set forth.

One door is provided with an operating cam 73 which is arranged in the path of the arm 63 formed on the swinging door 61 and forms the means for opening the swinging doors, as will now be described.

During the opening of the outer doors 15 and 16, the cam 73 will strike the arm 63 for the inner door 61 and thus force this door to its open position. Movement of the door 61 is imparted to the door 60 through the link 64 and bell crank 67 and after the doors 60 and 61 have been moved to their complete open position, the spring will tend to hold these doors against closing movement. This is augmented by the engagement of the spring with the walls of the notch '71.

After the doors 60 and 61 have been moved to their complete open position, the roller 66 is disposed in advance of the cam arm 72 and in the path thereof. Thus, when the outer doors are moved to their closed position, the cam arm '72 will strike the roller 66 and start to close the inner doors. These doors are then moved to their closed position by the spring 69 bearing against the link 64.

We have provided means at diiferent points for eliminatiiv noise and shock incident to the opening and closing of the inner and outer doors. As shown in Figure 3, the top hinge arms carry felt or similar pads which ride on the stop block 81 bolted or otherwise secured to the top wall of the safe, when the outer doors reach their point of closing. As shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the bottom hinge leaves or arms 18 carry stop plates 82 which are adapted to abut cushion pins 83 carried by the bottom wall of the safe when the outer doors reach their closed position. Obviously, other means can be employed for eliminating shock or noise.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that we have provided an exceptionally simple and novel means for operating and locking the closure doors of a safe for tabernacles.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what we claim as new is:

1. In a safe structure, a body having an entrance opening and a pair of swinging doors for closing said opening, a hollow shaft for operating said doors, an operating rod slidably mounted in said hollow shaft, a cross strap movable with said rod having locking pins for engaging the shaft for normally holding the same against movement, a clutch section secured to said shaft, a lock including a rotatable barrel, a second clutch section slidable on the barrel toward and away from the first clutch section, means connecting the second clutch section with the operating rod, a lock head slidable on the hollow shaft for engaging the doors, means connecting the lock head with the operating rod, and means for sliding the second mentioned clutch section on the barrel of the look upon rotation of said barrel.

2. In a safe structure, a body having an entrance opening and a pair of swinging doors for closing said opening, a hollow shaft for operating said doors, an operating rod slidably'mounted in said hollow shaft, a cross strap movable with said rod having locking pins for engaging the shaft for normally holding the same against movement, a clutch section secured to said shaft, a lock including a rotatable barrel, a second clutch section slidable on the barrel toward and away from the first clutch section, means connecting the second clutch section with the operating rod, a lock head slidable on the hollow shaft for engaging the doors, means connecting the lock head with the operating rod, and means for sliding the second mentioned clutch section on the barrel of the look upon rotation of said barrel, said lock head being arranged on one side of the doors, a swinging lock lever arranged on the other side of the doors for releasably engaging the same, a crank for rotating said lever, a swinging link pivoted to the body, means connecting the link to the cross strap, a vertically disposed shaft rotatably carried by the body, means connecting the link to the shaft, and means connecting the shaft to said crank.

ANTON HOFER. FELIX DANNINGER. 

